Chance for Home

by Traci Hunter Abramson

  “You must be exhausted.” Kari crossed to her. “Would you like to lie down? Or I can help you move into the lounge chair.”

  “I think I will rest for a bit.”

  Kari moved behind the chair and wheeled Susan into the bedroom.

  “If you get me my walker, I can get into bed myself.”

  Kari did as she asked and proceeded to turn down the blanket and sheets to make it easier for her to get in. Worried that Susan’s strength was failing her, Kari took her by the elbow as she shifted her body and pulled herself into the bed. Susan didn’t object when Kari helped her reposition her legs until she was comfortable.

  “Can I get you anything? Have you already had lunch?”

  “I just need to sleep for a bit.”

  “Okay.” Kari motioned to a bell Ryan had set on Susan’s bedside table. “Let me know if you need anything. You can ring that if I don’t hear you call.”

  Her only response was to close her eyes.

  Kari left the room, deliberately leaving the door open. She made her way back to the kitchen and looked down at the phone numbers for the medical transport and home care services.

  Certain that Ryan expected more extensive nursing services than what Susan had received, she picked up her phone. If he was going to have her living here, Susan was going to need a lot more help than a couple visits a week.

  Chapter 23

  Ryan climbed out of his car and rolled his shoulders to work out some of the tension settled there. Tonight’s game had not gone well for him or for any of his teammates, and they were all ready to put it behind them and look to tomorrow. At the moment, what he really wanted was to collapse onto his bed and sleep for ten hours. If he was lucky, he might get seven.

  The scent of tomato sauce greeted him when he opened the door leading from the garage to the kitchen. The light over the stove provided a soft glow in the otherwise dark kitchen. Though his stomach rumbled with hunger, he made his way down the hall to his mother’s room. As in the main part of the house, only a single light was on, this time coming from the bathroom.

  Ryan peeked into the bedroom to see his mother sleeping, a walker positioned beside her bed and a wheelchair pushed into the corner of the room. Satisfied that she was resting peacefully, he turned back to the main part of the house in search of Kari. With the way the lights were off, he supposed she might have gone back to Ben’s house, but he had thought she would stay with his mom until he got home.

  His question was answered when he reached the living room. Kari lay on the couch, a throw pillow beneath her head and an afghan tucked around her legs. Her dark hair curtained part of her face, and he recognized the sweatshirt she wore as one of his own. He felt himself softening, and he found himself yearning for something unknown.

  Dark eyelashes fluttered, and she shifted, her eyes opening to meet his. She smiled lazily, and sleep hung in her voice when she spoke. “Hey there.”

  “Hey.”

  She moved to sit up, sliding her legs down to make room for him. “I don’t know if you’re hungry, but I left some dinner in the oven for you.”

  “Thanks. I’ll get some in a minute.” He lowered himself onto the couch beside her. “How was my mom tonight?”

  “Tired, grumpy.” She raked her fingers through her hair, only succeeding in messing it up more than it had been before she’d made the effort. He found he rather liked her rumpled look.

  She tugged at the hem of the sweatshirt. “I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed this. It got a little cold in here once the sun went down.”

  “I don’t mind.” He waved in the direction of his mom’s room. “So everything went okay tonight?”

  “Mostly. There was an issue with the nurse. She was only here for five minutes before she left. She’s supposed to come back in the morning, but she said she was only planning to come two or three times a week.”

  “That can’t be right,” Ryan said. “I arranged to have someone here from noon to eight o’clock every day.”

  “I know. I called the home care service, and they said they would look into it.” She stifled a yawn. “I wanted to make sure you knew about it though.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.” She started to rise, but he took her hand to hold her in place.

  “I mean it, Kari. Having you here to make sure my mom was okay meant a lot to me.”

  Her eyes warmed. “I was happy to help.”

  He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. The now familiar sensation flooded through him. Pinpricks of pleasure danced along his spine, an unexpected wash of belonging seeping through him as he drew out the kiss.

  Even in the darkness, he could see the flush in her cheeks when he drew back.

  She glanced at the clock on the wall. “I didn’t realize it was so late. I should get going.”

  “Stay another minute.” He kept her hand in his, their eyes meeting as he studied her in the dim light. With his free hand, he brushed her hair back from her face, tucking a lock behind her ear. He saw her confusion and couldn’t explain why he felt the need to draw out their time together. When he first got home, all he cared about was sleep. Now that was the last thing on his mind.

  He thought of how she had integrated into his life so quickly, of her reaction today when he had given her his house key. He loved that he could trust her so completely, both in his home and with his privacy. A jolt shot through him when another thought tumbled through his mind. He didn’t just love the characteristics he had discovered in Kari. He loved her. Completely.

  “Are you okay?” She turned slightly as though trying to see him from a different angle.

  Still stunned from his realization, he swallowed before asking, “Will you stay for a little while?” He needed to keep her here longer. “I hate to eat alone.”

  “I’m not hungry, but I’ll sit with you while you eat.”

  They stood together, and Kari led the way into the kitchen. She picked a hot pad off the counter and retrieved a glass dish out of the oven. Ryan edged closer to see chicken breast smothered in spaghetti sauce. “Chicken parmesan?”

  “Yeah. I hope that’s okay. I thought your mom would enjoy having something that didn’t taste like hospital food for a change.”

  “This is great.”

  “There’s salad in the fridge if you want.”

  “No, this is fine.” While she dished a piece of chicken onto a plate, he retrieved a cup and filled it with water. He sat at the table and took a bite of his dinner. “This is really good. Did my mom eat some?”

  “A little bit. Her appetite wasn’t the greatest.”

  “Did she give you the third degree about being over here?” Ryan asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

  “She was fine.”

  “Fine?” He looked at her suspiciously. “We’re talking about my mother, the one who doesn’t like any women I date.”

  “I think she was too tired to think about anything beyond sleep. We watched part of your game together, but she only lasted four innings before she dozed off.”

  “I owe you for this.”

  “No, you don’t.” She shook her head. “This is what friends are for.”

  “I’m really glad you came to DC this summer.”

  “Me too.” She motioned toward the door. “But I really do need to go before I collapse.”

  Ryan pushed back from the table. “I’ll walk you home.”

  “I’ll be fine,” she said. “Besides, you shouldn’t leave your mom alone.”

  He walked her to the door. “I can at least watch you walk across the street.”

  She motioned to the sweatshirt she still wore. “I’ll wash this and get it back to you.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He leaned down and kissed her good-bye. Standing in his doorway, he watched her cross the street and let herself into Ben’s house. When she disappeared from sight, he put a hand on his heart; an odd sensation centered there. Was he really in love with her? And if so, w
hat in the world was he going to do about it?

  * * *

  Kari knocked on Ryan’s door, his now-clean sweatshirt tucked under her arm and a red gift bag dangling from her fingers. An unfamiliar car was parked in front of his house, and she hoped he had worked out the problems with his mother’s medical care.

  The door swung open, and her heart did a slow, slippery meltdown. Ryan stood on the other side of the threshold wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. His hair was wet, as though he had just stepped out of the shower, and his feet were bare.

  His face lit up with a smile. “I was hoping that was you. Come on in.”

  Kari followed him inside and held out the sweatshirt. “Here. I wanted to return this before it got mixed up with Ben’s laundry.”

  “You only borrowed it yesterday. How did you have time to wash it?”

  “It’s almost noon. Don’t you have to leave for your game soon?”

  “I was just making sure my mom has everything she needs before I go.”

  “How is she today?”

  Ryan shrugged. “Not very happy about the nurse staying with her, but I think she’ll manage.”

  “I hope so.” She held out the gift bag. “Also, I got you something.”

  “What is it?”

  “Just a little housewarming present.”

  Ryan dug through the tissue paper and pulled out a ceramic trivet shaped like home plate. In script letters, it read The best things in life happen at home. “This is great. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. I saw it in the store, and it felt like you.” She took a step toward the door. “I should get going. I just wanted to return your shirt and make sure the nurse showed up today.”

  “Were you planning to go to the game early today?”

  “I was thinking about it,” she said. “Believe it or not, I seem to get more studying done at the ballpark than when I’m at the house.”

  “Do you want to drive over with me?”

  “Sure, if you want.” She kept her voice casual, even as she delighted in the prospect of spending more time with him.

  “I do. It’ll just take me a minute to finish getting ready.”

  Kari took a step toward the door. “I’ll go grab my stuff, and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “Hey, before you go, I have something for you.”

  Her eyebrows drew together. “What?”

  “I got you a Nat’s jersey.” Ryan retrieved a Washington Nationals jersey from the back of his couch.

  “Thanks, but I already have a few at home.”

  “Yeah, but all of those say Evans on the back. I thought you might consider wearing my number to the game today.”

  Kari took it from him, turning it to see Ryan’s last name stitched across the back. She grinned at him. “I love it. Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.” He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.” He took a step down the hall. “Just walk in when you come back. You don’t need to knock.”

  “Okay.” Kari headed outside, looking down at the gift Ryan had given her. She kind of liked the idea of wearing Ryan’s name.

  The memory of Brandi wearing a Strobel jersey wormed its way into her mind. She was sure there was a time when Ryan had offered his ex-girlfriend one of his jerseys. Kari stopped that thought in its track. Ryan was not a prize to be won.

  A handsome man had asked her to go with him to his game, and she was going to appreciate every moment she got to spend with him. She had to remind herself of that when she walked into his house ten minutes later to find herself facing his mother and her nurse.

  “Ms. Strobel. It’s so good to see you up and around,” Kari said.

  “I’m in a wheelchair. That’s hardly up and around.”

  Kari ignored Susan’s edge. “How are you doing today?”

  “I was doing fine until I came in here to find a woman walking into my son’s house without even knocking.”

  She felt color wash into her cheeks. “Actually, I did knock when I came over a few minutes ago. Ryan told me to come in when I came back. He offered to give me a ride to the game.”

  “I see.”

  Hearing the disapproval hanging in the woman’s words, Kari considered that she might prefer to see Susan when she was too exhausted to criticize.

  Ryan walked down the stairs and approached them. “Hey, Mom. Good to see you out of your room.”

  “Thanks. I was getting a little claustrophobic.”

  Kari noticed how Susan’s mood altered completely when she was speaking to her son, but she didn’t comment.

  Ryan turned his gaze to Kari, and instantly he grinned. “I like the jersey.”

  “Thanks. This really great guy gave it to me.”

  “I wonder who that was,” he said. He looked back at his mom and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “I’ll see you later.” Then he looked up at the nurse. “My phone numbers are on the counter if you have any problems.” He reached out, took Kari’s hand, and led her to the door.

  Chapter 24

  Ryan followed his mother’s instructions to begin her antibiotic infusion and wondered if he should consider hiring another nurse. Yesterday, a second nurse had come in the morning to take care of this task, but now that Lois was scheduled to come for the afternoons and evenings, the morning antibiotic infusion had fallen to him.

  “You know, I really don’t need anyone staying with me while you’re at work,” Susan said as though reading his thoughts.

  “The doctor released you early on the condition that you have someone available to help you all the time for at least two weeks.” He connected the antibiotic to her PICC line and shifted to sit in the chair beside her.

  “The occupational therapist comes today. She’ll tell you I can manage on my own.”

  “She’ll also tell me that you can’t drive yet. You have physical therapy tomorrow and a checkup with your doctor the next day.”

  “Which the medical transport service can take me to,” she reminded him.

  Ryan wondered if the transport service could also administer her antibiotics. His game on Saturday started at four o’clock, which would make things difficult for him to take care of her needs before he had to leave for the ballpark. Sunday’s game was even earlier.

  “What’s going on with you and Kari? Are things getting serious?” his mother asked casually.

  The truth, or at least a watered down version of it, spilled out before he thought to censor his words. “I think they’re heading that way.”

  “I noticed you gave her one of your jerseys yesterday,” she said. “Brandi had quite a few when you were together.”

  He frowned in concentration. “I never even thought about that when I gave it to her.”

  “And I have to say, I thought it was very rude yesterday when she walked into your house without knocking.”

  “She only did it because I told her to. I knew I would be getting ready when she came over, and I didn’t want her to have to stand out in the heat while she waited for me to let her in.” He gave her a pointed look. “Seems to me you haven’t exactly been polite to her. Maybe you should stop nitpicking at her. If you give her a chance, I think the two of you will find you have a lot in common.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “You work in medicine. She wants to be a doctor.”

  “I don’t exactly socialize with doctors.”

  “Give her a chance. Please?”

  She studied him in silence for a moment. “You really like this one.”

  “Yes, I really do.” He stood. “I’m going to go fix you some breakfast. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  He went into the kitchen and pulled out a frying pan to make some eggs. His mind wandered as he turned on the stove and cracked two eggs into the pan.

  His mother’s comment about Brandi wearing his jerseys when they dated irritated him on principle. While technically he had given Brandi a couple of his jerseys, all but one of them were on
es she had “borrowed” and never returned. Still, the fact remained that he had given Brandi her first jersey with his name on it, just as he had given one to Kari.

  Was he trying to recreate the relationship he had once had with Brandi? A relationship he had hoped would lead to marriage and family?

  He plopped a piece of bread into the toaster and shook the thought out of his head. Sure, there might be some similarities between the two relationships, but what he felt for Kari was so much more than what he had experienced with Brandi. Never in a million years would Brandi have given up going to a game to sit at home with his mother, and the only reason she had ever gone early to a game with him was if she knew she would have friends there with her.

  Kari, on the other hand, never seemed to have any kind of hidden agenda. He knew she studied while waiting for the game to start, but she could just as easily have stayed home and accomplished the same thing with a lot less effort. No, Kari wasn’t anything like Brandi. The only real similarity was that he had once professed his love to Brandi and he hoped to do the same to Kari. This time, however, he knew what the word really meant.

  * * *

  Kari waited on Ryan’s doorstep and debated whether she should use his spare key to enter. He had asked her to ride with him to Nats Stadium, but apparently her timing had coincided once again with him getting ready to leave.

  Another minute passed, and she rang the doorbell a third time. Ten seconds later, Ryan opened the door, breathless and shirtless.

  “Sorry, I was in the shower. Have you been waiting long?”

  “A few minutes,” she managed to say, trying not to stare at his well-muscled chest.

  “You could have just let yourself in.”

  “That didn’t go over so well with your mom yesterday.”

  “Yeah, sorry about that.” He motioned her inside. “Did I mention she’s protective?”

  “Once or twice.”

  He motioned to the jersey she wore, one bearing her brother’s name across the back. “I think you’re wearing the wrong number.”

  “I figured I can split my time between you two. Besides, the one you gave me needs to be washed.”